Method of preparing and handling forgings.



No. 655,720. Patented Aug. I4, I900. J. LANZ. METHOD OF PREPARING AND HANDLING FORG INGS.

(Application filed Sept. 29, 1899. Renewed July 9, 1900.) (No Model.)

THE uoRms PETERS Q0. PHOTQZLITHOHYWASHINGTON p. c.

NlTE Snares 'A'rnwr i ni icn.

METHOD OF PREPARING AND' HANDLING FORGINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,720, dated August 14:, 1900.

Original application filed February 25, 1899, $erial No. 706,804. Divided and this application filed September 29, 189B.

Renewed July 9, 1900. Serial No. 23,043. (No model.) i i To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN LANZ, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Preparing and Handling Forgings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to methods of preparing and handling forged blanks, having more particular, though not exclusive, reference to the preparing and handling of axle-blanks, its object being to insure the proper centering of such blanks during the forging operation by providing a positive guiding means and a holding means by which the hot blank can be grasped in proper position and held during the forging operation.

In an application for patent filed by in February 25, 1899, Serial No. 706,804, I have described an apparatus for handling and operating these blanks during the forging of the same, so as to facilitate the rapid forging of the blanks and make it practicable in some cases to forge them at the rolling heat at which the blanks are produced. The present method is applicable to blanks handled in such apparatus, this case being a division of said application.

The present invention consists, generally stated, in preparing and handling such forged blanks by shearing the blanks to length and pressing notches in the ends of the blanks during the shearing thereof, grasping and centering these blanks by means of such notches or indentations, and forging the blanks to shape when so centered.

To enable others skilled in the art to practice my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of an anvil-die, in-

dicating the position of the arms for grasping the blank when therein. Fig. 2 is an end View of these dies, showing by dotted lines the blank. Fig. 3 is a detailed side view,partly broken away, illustrating the shearing of the blanks. Fig. 4 is a face view of the same, showing the blank in section and illustrating by dotted lines the shearing thereof. Fig. 5

is a face view of the sheared blank, with an ing die-seats 3 4 of any particular shape, ac- I cording to the forging to be made. The holding-arms 5 6 are shown in the form of shafts which can be rotated in the forging operation, and, as shown, each of said arms carries at its forward end lugs 7, which engage with the indentations 8 and 9, formed in the blanks 10, and so center the blanks and aid in holding them by means of the arms 5 6 during the forging operation. These centering indentations 8 and 9, as shown, are at the ends of the blank along the center line and extend in from the side faces and from the end walls, forming notches into which the lugs 7 take and hold, giving a much firmer hold of the arms upon the blank during the forging thereof. I prefer to form such notches in the blanks in connection with the shearing of the same, the blanks either of regular or irregular shape and as produced by previous rolling or hammering, the bar being in multiples of the article to be produced, it therefore being necessary to shear it into proper length. For this purpose the shearing mechanism illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4: is suitable, the bar from which the blanks are to be out being carried under the upper shear-knife 11 and above the lower shear-knife 12, the upper shear-knife having a teat or projection 13, which is forced into the bar, so as to form the upper indentation or notch 8, the blank being then sheared between the knives 11 and 12, and below the knife 12 is the punch 14, carrying the teat or projection 15, the upper shear-knife forcing the blank down upon said punch, and so forming the opposite indenta tion 9 in the blank. The lower shear-knife 12 has also the projection 16 above its regw lar shearing-face, which is forced into the blank resting on the anvil 17, supporting said shear-knife, and so forms one indentation 9 in that blank, while the upper shear-knife 11 carries the punch 18, provided with a projection 19, which in the descent of the upper knife and While the blank rests upon the lower knife is forced into the same and forms the otherindentation 8 in the blank. In this Way the indentations are quickly formed in connection with the shearing of the blanks,

and the blanks, if still at a proper heat, can

be quickly passed to the forging-machine and grasped bythe arms 5, the teats or lugs 7 taking into the indentations 8 9 and center'- ing the blanks While acted upon by the forging-dies. In Fig. 6 the way in which the arms grasp the blank is fully illustrated, while in Fig. -2, in connection with one of the die-seats 3, the end of one arm isshown, and the blank is shown in the dotted position into which it isfirst brought in connection with the forging of the same. The blanks may of course be sheared and then fed to the forging-dies to form the indentations 8 9; but this is extralabor.

By my invention I provide for the quick preparing of the blanksfor forging,and properly center and increase the hold upon the blanks during the forging operation, and make it practicable in many cases to forge the blanks at the initial heat of rolling, so

materially reducing their cost.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The method of preparing and handling forged blanks, consisting in shearing the blanks to length, pressingindentations in the endsof the blanks, and subsequently grasping and centering said blanks by means of said indentations, and forging the same to shape when so centered, substantially as set forth.

2. The method of preparingand handling forged blanks, consisting in shearing the blanks tolength and pressing indentations in the ends of the blanks during the shearing thereof, grasping and centering said blanks by means of said indentations, and forging the same to shape when so centered,subst'antially as set forth.

3. The method of preparing-blanks, consisting in shearing the blanksto length and press ing indentations in the ends of the blanks during the shearingthereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said JOHN LANZ, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN LANZ.

Witnesses:

GRACE G. RAYMOND, ROBERT C. 'loTTEN. 

